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Lewis Hamilton beats Sebastian Vettel in Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton mastered Shanghai's changing conditions and stayed clear of squabbling rivals to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. The Briton eased his Mercedes across the line 6.2 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen, who started 16th, finished a surprise third to hand his Red Bull team their 100th podium. It was Hamilton's 54th career win and a record fifth in Shanghai. But it was the triple champion's first this season and returned Mercedes to the top of the podium after Vettel won last month's season-opening race for a resurgent Ferrari. "I'm so happy with my first win of the year and I can't believe it if I'm honest," said Hamilton after the race, which also handed him his 106th podium, putting him joint second with Alain Prost on the list of drivers with most rostrum results. "What I said to Sebastian as I left the last race ... I said I'm coming back in the next one. When I got on the podium it was like 'I told you'." MOTOR-F1-CHINA/ View 12 Photos Hamilton, who finished second to Vettel in Melbourne, heads into the next race in Bahrain in a week's time tied on points with the German. Mercedes, meanwhile, lead the constructors' standings by one point over Ferrari. Hamilton started from pole position, but the conditions were a bit of a lottery for all the drivers with the track damp in patches but drying quickly. He kept the lead off the line ahead of Vettel, who came under investigation for lining up out of position on his grid slot. The German, though, stayed second, fending off Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes, who had started third. Lance Stroll, the 18-year-old rookie, spun off the track on the first lap after making contact with Force India's Sergio Perez. The Canadian beached his Williams in the gravel, bringing out the virtual safety car. Vettel took the opportunity to dive into the pits to change to dry weather tires. His gamble backfired when Antonio Giovinazzi — standing in for Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber — crashed, bringing out the actual safety car two laps later. The four-times world champion found himself bottled up behind Ricciardo and his slower team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, costing him valuable time. As the trio squabbled for position, Hamilton pulled clear at the front. By the time Vettel managed to get past, with a series of spectacular overtaking moves that included banging wheels with his former team-mate, Hamilton was too far ahead.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton buys LaFerrari

Lewis Hamilton has driven some of the fastest cars ever devised, like the McLaren MP4-23 with which he won the 2008 Formula One World Championship, the Mercedes W05 with which he won the title last year, and the new W06 he drove to the checkered flag in the season opener earlier this month. But what does he drive in his spare time? According to the latest reports quoting his boss Toto Wolff, the reigning champ celebrated his win at the Australian Grand Prix by ordering a new LaFerrari. The seven-figure, 950-horsepower hybrid hypercar may be made by a rival manufacturer to the team for which he drives, but then his employers at Mercedes don't (for the time being at least) build anything that competes in the segment – unlike his former employers at McLaren that offer the similarly potent P1. Something tells us he won't be invited to drive it at Fiorano, though - which is something his rivals Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have all had the chance to do. Hamilton has a long-established penchant for driving twelve-cylinder exotic supercars in his spare time. At his previous place of work, he was promised an exceedingly rare McLaren F1 LM – valued at some $4 million – but only if he won three world titles for the Woking-based team. He also owns a Pagani Zonda that was made specifically for him with a 760-horsepower engine (supplied, naturally, by Mercedes) and a six-speed manual – complete with a clutch pedal, which (apart from starting off the line) is something he doesn't usually get to operate during working hours. Related Video:

F1's Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton face off again in Austria

SPIELBERG, Austria - Sebastian Vettel celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday, but it can be safely assumed that Lewis Hamilton will not be bringing any gifts to Austria this weekend. After the "road rage" of Azerbaijan two weeks ago, the Formula One title rivals head to the bucolic surroundings of the scenic Red Bull Ring and its backdrop of hills and forests, with controversy still simmering. Vettel, Ferrari's championship leader, had risked a heavy penalty for his moment of madness in driving into Hamilton's Mercedes behind the safety car in Baku but instead the German arrives in Austria with no further sanction and the matter officially closed. Vettel has had to accept full responsibility, and apologize to Hamilton, and will have to stay on best behavior with a race ban looming if he collects any more penalty points on his license this weekend. The FIA said Monday's meeting was attended by top officials including race director Charlie Whiting and safety director Laurent Mekies. "Following detailed discussion and further examination of video and data evidence related to the incident, Sebastian Vettel admitted full responsibility," the FIA said. "In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologize to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realize that I was not setting a good example." A formal apology was published on Vettel's personal website. "During the re-start lap, I got surprised by Lewis and ran into the back of his car. With hindsight, I don't believe he had any bad intentions," he said. "In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologize to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realize that I was not setting a good example. "I love this sport and I am determined to represent it in a way that can be an example for future generations." But the incident, the sport's major talking point post-Baku, is unlikely to die down immediately even if Mercedes say they have moved on. Hamilton, for one, has said nothing. But he has kept social media buzzing with news he had "liked" a fan's supportive post on Instagram that said the Paris decision had sent the message that "you can do whatever you want on track, smash into each other but if you suck up and just apologize and you get away with it." Hamilton is now 14 points behind Vettel after eight of 20 races, with a loose headrest costing the Briton victory in Azerbaijan.